For some time it has been known to utilize administrative users to configure and maintain complex computing system environments. For example, Novell Inc.'s ZENworks Desktop Management enables administrators to automatically and transparently configure, update and troubleshoot computing devices from anywhere in the environment—inside or outside the firewall—without having to physically or electronically visit each device. Using policies, administrators generate and maintain environments with content and applications that are tailored to personal needs of each user or group of users. As a result, users access their work environment and applications in simple, consistent ways from any computing device, at any location.
However, installation of certain applications, such as various Microsoft Software Installer (MSI) applications, requires users to be logged into the environment. Since installations or other maintenance is often performed by administrators at off hours, such as overnight, no guarantees exist that users will be logged on at the appropriate time. To overcome this, some have tried installations with a System User or by adding a common user or common account per each computing device in the environment. With the former, many MSI applications will still not install. With the latter, security is potentially compromised for want of accountability per the common user or account. In still other environments, installation has been attempted after a first user logs on. This, unfortunately, de-prioritizes the user in favor of the administrator and forces them to wait for completion of the administrator's tasks.
Accordingly, there are needs in the art for simple, yet effective ways of installing applications that require the presence of users. The need extends to installing applications without requiring users to be actually logged on, without de-prioritizing users or having common accounts. Naturally, any improvements should further contemplate good engineering practices, such as relative inexpensiveness, stability, ease of implementation, low complexity, etc.